Hundreds of women have used the power of collective giving since 2002 to give back through the Women’s Initiative Fund at the Community Foundation. This diverse group of women are making a difference locally by giving to support issues that they care about.

“Grants from the Women’s Initiative are decided upon by a steering committee made up of Women’s Initiative members passionate about giving back and stewarding the hard-earned money of donors to the fund,” said Lindsey Adams Fitchett, Chair of the Women’s Initiative Steering Committee.

The Women’s Initiative currently prioritizes funding for educational growth and eliminating barriers that can impact a child’s academic growth, especially in the early childhood age group.

“We’re pleased to share that Tanika Price and Amy Lyons have joined our steering committee. Their backgrounds and experiences will be a great addition to our group of nine other women guiding the grantmaking of the fund” said Lindsey.

Tanika is a mother of two and the HR Manager for the YMCA. She’s also a Realtor working on building her real estate business. Tanika volunteers for her daughter’s softball team and has been a volunteer coach for a Port Huron Schools basketball program for a couple years. She also previously coached the freshmen girls basketball team at Port Huron High School and was a substitute teacher locally.

Amy is also a mother of two and a 5^th grade teacher at Garfield Elementary School. Amy started her teaching career in Chicago and has taught at many different schools since that time. Amy has her Master’s Degree in Literacy. She feels deeply about the importance of reading to open a love of learning in her students. She has served on the planning committee for the 100+ Women Who Care event and is a past president of the Women’s Association at Port Huron Golf Club. 

Tanika and Amy both started on the steering committee this summer, they have both been a part of one round of granting from the committee. This year the Women’s Initiative has provided grants for the STEM Learning Lab at Memphis Community Schools, tutoring at the Athletic Factor, preschool tuition assistance administered by St. Clair County RESA, to Crull Elementary for a book vending machine and support for the county-wide backpack giveaway.

This year alone, the Women’s Initiative has provided over $35,000 in grants. These grants are possible because of the generosity of Women’s Initiative members who give annually to support the fund and those who attend the 100+ Women Who Care events.

“Our steering committee is dedicated to making our donors and community proud. We’ve achieved an amazing milestone of a $1million fund balance that will continue to grow for maximum benefit in our community for generations to come,” said Lindsey.

The Women’s Initiative educates women about local philanthropic opportunities, supports women’s grantmaking and engages women through social philanthropic events. New members are always welcome to join by making a donation to the fund or by attending the 100+ Women Who Care events.  Our next 100+ Women Who Care event will be held on September 20, 2023. Learn more and make an impact here.